Muniz

Jorge Muniz
Hugo Jacobo
Political Studies
03 September 2016

The American Dream for a Common Man: How Is There a Portrayal of This Great Virtue?
Just how exactly does such any work of literature represent the theme for the definition of
the American Dream in society? Both authors, Arthur Miller and Aristotle both had different
ideals for how tragedy is written for who it would appeal to the most. On Millers behalf, an
individual has a struggle to gain his rightful position in society and holds an inner flaw within
himself for any situations. Compared to Aristotles works of literature, it was rather imposed for
the people of those in high positions or a wealthy backgrounds such as the characters like
Oedipus Rex. Death of A Salesman, however, brings the sense that the common man is a subject
and that it can be applicable for everyone despise their socio economic level. Willy Loman is the
type of man that represents any man attempting his hardest effort to achieve his dreams and to
level up from his position as a failing salesman. He defines a figure whose name has become a
symbol for any American Dreamer that hopes to make a milestone for himself. Many would
argue that the American Dream itself is more of an ideal than a reality because achievements
have a price for thems. Death of A Salesman, shows that Willy alongside the rest of the Loman
family were all middle class, common people just as any of us and death depicts under the
American Dream with flaws and barriers that depict imperfection in a mans quest to seek
success.

Muniz
One might have a much different perspective and version of what the American Dream is
defined by. Willy Lomans point of view was to accomplish obtaining recognition on the
business of selling,achieving fortune, and traveling to vast distances to grow an empire of a sort.
Most of all, he wants his two sons to grow to be entrepreneurs of their own to build their way up
in the world. In Act 1, Willy gives a statement to Biffon how the world stands out before him and
says,Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates
personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want,(Miller,33). Not
only was Willy interpreting his hopes not only to accomplish receiving fortune, but to be
recognized for his line of work and make a record breaking legacy. Willys version of the
American Dream unfortunately fails when he perishes because of his failure to reach the socio
economic ladder and to give money to his family. The hopes to bring out his family from under
their problems was a priority and live a life of stability. Now, he made his most uptight attempts
to attain this dream same as any working class individual wants to reach.

Muniz
A man of a class lower than a royal being not just ponders of wanting to achieving his
ambitions, but his attempts to attain a piece of the American Dream. In Death of A Salesman,
Willy sets to get an employment at any place to accumulate a steady salary and build his
respectable identity as he works. In Act 2, he takes the chance to get an advance at his current job
at Howard Wagners stocks firm and promises his wife, Linda,Thats really something, Im
gonna knock Howard for the loop, kid. Ill get an advance and Ill come home a New York job.
Godammit, now Im gonna do it!,(Miller,74). Loman feels a sense of an uprising to his
dilemma, but his proposal is rejected for his need and is fired out of the line of representatives in
Wagners firm. Besides the fact that he wanted to match his brother, Bens mass fortune, he
intends to inspire his sons by saying what his brother achieved through an expectation. In Act 2,
he says, ...was rich! Thats just the spirit I want imbue them with! To walk into a jungle and
walk out rich! (Miller, 52). Loman wants his sons to reach any place with opportunities and
search widely for a line of work to grow their own empire However, Willys efforts that resulted
no different from the way he was living before that led him to committing suicide and the failure
of his lifes greatest ambition. Therefore, his death tells a lot of what the American Dream
depicts and that it appeals more to an ideal rather than a reality for many who live under different
circumstances than others.

The symbol of a great tragic story came to the end of Act 2 which brought much pity and made
the audience cringe. It all depicts a form of a message about the the American Dream of the

Muniz
people wanting to bring their dreams alive. Willy constantly argues with his son Biff about the
business world and rejecting the fact that he works for little salary. Biff simply does not find his
way around anymore after working his way up on part time sales as a clerk, promoter, or a
shipment manager after highschool and same for his brother Happy. On Act 2, Biff is given
lectures by his father about opportunities in the world. Willy contradicts this statement to himself
because all the chances he made rejections to take those jobs offered to him in the past. Willy
commits suicide afterwards due to his thoughts where he feels that he would never find a
sufficient source of pay and bring his family one step forward. At his funeral, Charley, who was
his most trusted friend, says,You dont understand:Willy was a salesman. And for a salesman,
there is no rock bottom to the life. He is a man way out there in the blue riding on a smile and a
shoeshine.Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy.,(Miller, 138). Charley
explains what his death says about a average mans dream on his destiny is not to blame
regardless of the situation because life comes with difficulties. Happy makes a statement about
the American Dream in a man both in himself and his father. He tells Linda, his mother,...Willy
Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It is the only dream you can have - to come out
number-one man. He fought it out here...,(Miller, 139). Happy makes the point that his fathers
death is the failure of a mans dreams to come out successful, but a dreamer like Willy died with
something he had to live for. The common man relates to this great, pitiful story since one may
contemplate or even come to a drastic situation in the world of business. Death of A Salesman
was a manifest of a regular man trying to seek a better life and flourish from poverty. What a
way to depict the American Dream, but it depicts a mans frustrations to make ends meet because
he is not as renowned as the rest. Although this story demonstrates the death of a unknown man
in the world, the great plot in this story appeals to the ideal of the American Dream that an
individual finds to differ than another man.

Muniz

In conclusion, Death of A Salesman, shows that Willy is a everyday person like all of us
are, we all encounter dilemmas that keep us from moving on forward, and that death gives a
lecture of never taking chances for granted once we first approach them. Willys version was a
belief of what he was destined to be and recognition for his line of work is all he ever wished for.
The attempts to grasp a dream appeals to a reader similar to the effort Loman put to attain his
piece of the American Dream and the need to accumulate an employment. Death was a certain
factor and it reveals much to civilizations greatest ideal and a lecture in which one must grab
onto the opportunities they are given. Arthur Miller never explained what Willy sold that way
any person who comes across such literature, can relate to. Not for a person of any high being,
but for a common man like you and I to find deep in our spirits.

Works Cited